Christian Rap News | Christian Hip Hop News

Gozpul Music Group, LLC (GMG) announces the new album release for Mark Johnson, better known by hip-hop fans as Mark-J, An Everyday World. This follow-up to 2007’s SOULutions, An Everyday World hits the streets April 21st, 2009.

Mark J is an independent artist’s dream. His journey has taken him into the recording studio with many very prominent artists in the Christian music industry, including Canton Jones, KJ-52, John P. Kee and many more. The New York-born, Atlanta-based artist has had the opportunity to tour the globe, bringing his signature charisma and polished performance to stages across the world. Now, he brings his talents to An Everyday World, his heavily anticipated new album from Gozpul Music Group.

This album features 17 gems, with Mark J delivering his most creative assembly of new material to date. As Big Earl, President of Gozpul Music Group shares, ““We decided to give the consumer more music than what is being offered by the average record.” Listeners will immediately notice the difference when they hear the influences of reggae, soul, electric, rock and pop mixed in with Mark J’s deep hip-hop roots. Adding to the universal sound of the album, some of Mark’s friends and fellow artists, including Eric Cross, Ewoyn, Nova, Conrad and Le’Crea, make appearances. This is an album not to be missed. More than ever, Mark-J’s passion for Christ is on full display. He says, “Listeners will get a small glimpse of my heart. They should be able to hear, feel and see my call to encourage, exhort and preach the Word of God (the Holy Bible) through (music), and with that, open their hearts as they realize Christ is real.”

The album features the work of some of the best Urban Christian music producers today, including Tony Stone, G-Styles (Lecrae, 116 Clique, Trip Lee), Juice 20/20 (R-Swift, Tonic, Sho Baraka, DJ Morphiziz) and up-and-coming beatsmith J’Pierre. An Everyday World finds Mark J digging deeper into his daily relationship with God, unearthing gems of truth he unabashedly shares in this 17-song collection. This release features songs “Merge,” “Enmity,” “Hold This Line,” “Luv Thing” (a soulful meditation on the greatness of God) and more. When asked about “Merge,” one of the album’s standout tracks, Mark-J shared his heart, saying, “I wanted to somehow get through to people who can’t associate merging how they live with what they believe.” The song is a clarion call to all who hear to live a life of integrity and honor before God. A video for the single is slated to go into production in the coming weeks, featuring the skills of music video director Brandon “Dash” Brinkley (Urban D, Da’ Truth, Rawsrvnt, Group 1 Crew) of Crossover Church.

In “Emnity,” (featuring CONRAD), Mark-J said, “This song was inspired by people who justify everything to live a life of spiritual complacency… never really going all the way with Christ because they’re holding onto the world.” Indeed, this desire to run from complacency is most evident in the track “Darfur Dreams,” a song inspired by Mark J’s recent trip to Seattle Pacific University to attend a symposium on the Darfur crisis. “I was floored and in tears (because of) what I heard… I felt convicted and compelled to write this song to help bring about awareness of the tragedies…” he says. That conviction led to “Darfur Dreams” becoming a part of An Everyday World in the hope that it would inspire involvement and change from those who heard it. “Hold This Line” also follows this same theme of living out belief in God, no matter the cost. Mark-J is not content to sit on the sidelines, complacently. He is an artist who lives life head-on, tackling challenges while chasing after God. Indeed, this seems to be the heart and soul of this brilliant and soulful album.